Homi
Jehangir Bhabha was a multifaceted personality - scientist, visionary
and institution builder. He was born on October 30, 1909 in an
illustrious family with a long tradition of learning and service to the
country. His father was Jehangir Hormusji Bhabha, a well known lawyer and
mother was Meheren. Bhabha was exposed to fine arts, music and painting,
which moulded his artistic traits. Bhabha
was intelligent, hard working and sincere student. After finishing
schooling, Bhabha’s parents sent him to Cambridge University, UK for higher
education in mechanical engineering. They had dreams of Bhabha becoming a
successful engineer but, in 1928 he wrote to his father “…I seriously say
to you that business or job as an engineer is not the thing for me… I am
burning with a desire to do physics... I earnestly implore you to let me do
physics…”. In response, his father assured him to support for further
studies in theoretical physics, provided he completed his mechanical
engineering. In 1930, Bhabha completed mechanical engineering in first class
and his father supported extended stay for the degree in physics. This is
an example of the respect Bhabha had for his parents to pursue what they
wanted him to do but, not compromising on his passion for physics.
After completing his degree in 1932,
Bhabha continued his research at Cambridge University. His first paper
appeared in 1934, based on theoretical explanation of shower production in
cosmic rays. His name is associated with Bhabha scattering, which involves
relativistic exchange scattering of electrons and Bhabha-Heitler theory,
dealing with production of electron and positron showers in cosmic rays.
Thus, it was no surprise that at an young age of 31, he was elected as a
fellow of the Royal Society, London. Bhabha rubbed shoulders with great
physicists like Bohr, Pauli, Dirac, Cockcroft and others, who later became
Noble
Laureates.
This period was crucial for Bhabha for capacity building and leadership
qualities.
Bhabha was on vacation during 1939, when the second world war broke out
and he could not go back abroad to continue his research. He then joined
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore as a Reader in Department of
Physics, headed by Sir C. V. Raman and set up a cosmic ray research unit.
Raman had great admiration for Bhabha and at Nagpur Indian Academy meeting
in 1941, while introducing Bhabha, he said “… Bhabha is a great lover of
music, a gifted artist, a brilliant engineer and an outstanding scientist…
He is the modern equivalent of Leonardo da Vinci…”.It was from Bangalore in 1944, Bhabha wrote his historical letter
to the Tata trust for support in setting up a centre for research work in
nuclear science, which could play a central role in the development of
nuclear energy. This was just two years after 1942, when the first
experimental demonstration of nuclear reactor was made in USA. All the more
so, the country was still under the British rule and industrially
undeveloped. There was a clear similarity in vision between the great
Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata and Bhabha with respect to the need for
education, scientific research and human resource development for economic
prosperity.Based on this letter, Tata
Trust supported him to set up a laboratory at Kenilworth, Bombay.
Subsequently, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research was formed and large
scale research in physics, chemistry, electronics and mathematics
commenced. Thus, Bhabha had converted the difficulty of not going back
abroad to a great opportunity of setting up of front ranking research
facilities within the country.

Bhabha was instrumental for the formation of Atomic Energy Commission in
1948 and the Department of Atomic Energy in 1954 and he chalked out a
focussed research and minerals exploration programmes for nuclear energy. He
was such a visionary that he had realized the importance of nuclear power
programme way back in 1950s and enunciated a three stage nuclear programme
so as to meet the energy security of the nation. It consisted of
utilization of natural uranium, plutonium and abundant thorium resources in
thermal, fast and advanced nuclear reactors with closed fuel cycle. He also
had balanced perspective on the role of other energy resources such as coal,
oil and solar. A significant factor that contributed for the growth of
nuclear sciences and its applications was Bhabha's rapport with the then
Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who reposed complete confidence in
him. This was
possible because Bhabha had the deserving credentials and his

Management of Science, People and Ethics
Being a scientist, Bhabha was always conscious of highest quality
in all his endeavors, whether it was selection of people or
programmes or research facilities. Further, he had the right
exposure abroad to see how large scientific establishments were
managed. He had enunciated a clear idea on scientific policy and
industrial growth. In his address at Birla Hall, Bombay on January
7, 1966, Bhabha stated “…The relative role of indigenous science
& technology and foreign collaboration can be highlighted through an
analogy. Indigenous science & technology plays the part of an
engine in an aircraft, while foreign collaboration can play the part
of a booster. A booster in the form of foreign collaboration can
give a plane an assisted take-off, but it will be incapable of
independent flight unless it is powered by engines of its own. If
Indian industry is to take-off and be capable of independent flight,
it must be powered by science and technology based in the country..”.
Bhabha had very unique work ethics. In his last letter dated January
23, 1966, which was addressed to Mrs. Lalita Lal Bahadur Shastri,
Bhabha wrote that the staff of the Trombay campus as well as the
TIFR campus had worked on Saturday, January 22, 1966, which was a
holiday, as a fitting tribute to the memory of the late Prime
Minister. Also, his standing orders for Atomic Energy Establishment,
Trombay (AEET, which was later renamed as BARC) were very unique and
reflective of his clarity how a research organization should be run.
With respect to travel away from Bombay, he stated in the order
dated. Feb 26, 1962 “...Senior staff of the Trombay Establishment
are now on several committees under other Ministries…It is
desirable, in national interest, that their participation should be
made available on these committees, provided this does not cause a
major interferences with their duties in the Establishment, which
must always be given first preference…”. In an order dated
September 28, 1962, he informed “…It is important that visitors
who come here for talks with us should commence their discussions
after acquiring a fair knowledge of what we have achieved so far and
what we are planning to do in the near future. For this purpose, it
is desirable that such visitors be taken round Trombay and also TIFR
before anything else is done...”. Bhabha was very choosy in
selecting people of highest eminence and scientific quality. Having
named them as leaders of respective scientific programmes, Bhabha
gave them full freedom to evolve the programmes subsequently. He
reposed full confidence in his colleagues and used to stand by them
in all their decisions. His mantra was the right man for the
right job.

passion
matched with Nehru’s vision of modern India. There was a great synergy in
thinking between Nehru and Bhabha with respect to industrialization and
scientific research, evolving hand-in-hand.

Bhabha gave utmost importance to the development of quality human
resources. The commencement and continuation of BARC Training School for the
scientific manpower over the last 50 years is a real tribute to Bhabha’s
foresight on quality manpower. Bhabha, a person of perfection, purpose and
excellence, ensured these qualities in all his endeavours viz., research,
management, buildings and environment. His total conviction, never-accepting
mediocrity, never compromising on excellence, meeting the challenges head-on
with confidence made him an unique personality. Bhabha was a great
scientific manager and followed the mantra of right man for the right job.
Bhabha had received many prestigious national and international awards and
recognitions. In 1954, he was conferred with Padma Bhushan award for
outstanding contributions to nuclear science. In 1955, he was elected as the
President of the first International Conference on the 'Peaceful Uses of
Atomic Energy', organized by the UN at Geneva.

Message for youth
Bhabha’s life is an example of pursuing individual passion with a
national perspective and purpose. If he chose, he could have gone
abroad after the second world war and pursued his scientific
research and perhaps, could have even won Noble prize in physics.
But, he chose to stay back to serve the country. He channelized all
his scientific pursuits to develop scientific institutes with an aim
to serve the society. He blended his individual vision and passion
with that of the Country. Today, we have world class institutes and
the Departments like Atomic Energy and Space, thanks to Bhabha’s
foresight and vision. Thus, his life message to all of us is “
do pursue the passion of your life but with a vector or direction of
serving the country and making it proud with your contributions”

At a young age
of 56, Bhabha suddenly passed away in 1966 due to a plane crash in
Switzerland.A vibrant and robust
organization, that he had left behind with many signal achievements in
nuclear science and technology as well as a dedicated and talented pool of
human resources, bears testimony to the visionary zeal of Bhabha. His life
was an example for all of us, which stood for “deserve, desire and
demonstrate”.